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Fred Barstein

By Fred Barstein | 6/10/2016
According to a recent survey conducted by FTSE Russell in early 2016 with large pools of assets, smart beta is on the rise.The survey found that 72% of respondents are either using smart beta strategies or actively evaluating them, up from just 44% in 2015. All tiers of assets indicated strong use... READ MORE
By Fred Barstein | 6/6/2016
In an article earlier this year, I reviewed what the small plan (<$3 million) market might look like in the future. But will Elite Advisors that have moved up-market be able to take advantage?Let’s review what the future might look like for smaller DC plans and trends that might affect this... READ MORE
By Fred Barstein | 6/2/2016
The use of indexing and TDFs, especially as a plan’s default option/QDIA, rather than individual investments — along with the growing popularity of CITs — is changing the DC money manager landscape. While overall DC assets declined by 1.1%, Pensions & Investments reports that Vanguard, which... READ MORE
By Fred Barstein | 5/31/2016
The use of TDFs using CITs is growing rapidly in the large DC plan market, according to studies by Aon Hewitt and Callan – a trend that is expected to move down market. Overall, Callan studies show that 30.6% of plans offered a TDF CIT in 2015, up from 13.2% in 2011. Only 4% of Aon Hewitt clients... READ MORE
By Fred Barstein | 5/27/2016
With the advent of most companies that offer a DC plan using an advisor, the dirty secret is that many providers that currently sell mostly through advisors have “orphaned” cases. So what happens to the DC plans without an advisor, those that receive zero service and the advisor is still getting... READ MORE
By Fred Barstein | 5/25/2016
Whether advisors like it or not (and perhaps due to their own efforts), fees are becoming a top priority for 401(k) plan sponsors, according to the 2016 Cogent Retirement Planscape study. Polling nearly 1,500 plan sponsors in Q1 2016, the focus on fees is clearly front and center. Whether it’s... READ MORE
By Fred Barstein | 5/20/2016
One of the key elements of the so-called “ideal” DC plan, along with auto-enrollment and auto-escalation, is the stretch match. A relativity new concept, very few plan sponsors are using it — which can be both a good thing and a bad thing for advisors.Let’s review the stretch match, including its... READ MORE
By Fred Barstein | 5/17/2016
At a recent TRAU Practice Management Institute (TPMI) program with 25 advisors right after the DOL’s final conflict-of-interest rule was released, the last session was dedicated to sharing what advisors will do to change their practices to comply with the rule.There was dead silence, either because... READ MORE
By Fred Barstein | 5/13/2016
Though managed accounts will not be overtaking the nearly $800 billion in TDF assets anytime soon, they are gaining traction, according to Cerulli. So what’s holding them back, and what’s their place in DC plans?From 2009 to 2014, Cerulli reports, the percentage of plans offering them has doubled... READ MORE
By Fred Barstein | 5/6/2016
If you’re not looking at the not for profit (NFP) or government retirement market, you’re missing out on a significant opportunity, according to a recent Cerulli report. Projected to grow 7% annually from 2016-2020, the total market is expected to swell to $2.4 trillion, faster than any other... READ MORE
By Fred Barstein | 5/4/2016
The new DOL fiduciary rule is the government’s acknowledgement of the growing use and importance of plan advisors. Though the DC industry has come to accept that the use of advisors in DC plans predominates — as evidenced by Fidelity research showing that 84% of plans with 50-10,000 employees use... READ MORE
By Fred Barstein | 5/2/2016
[Part 1 of this two-part column is here.]Building on what we know about what doesn’t work with financial literacy education and how adults learn (see Part 1), let’s use our imaginations to envision how financial literacy and engagement programs can work within DC plans.Customize by Plan... READ MORE
By Fred Barstein | 4/27/2016
Almost before it has even taken off, financial wellness seems overdone, at risk of becoming an overused buzzword. But in reality, we have just started and we need to get back to basics with some common sense fundamentals to engage, not just educate, workers in DC plans.The ideal or auto plan using... READ MORE
By Fred Barstein | 4/25/2016
[REVISED APRIL 28 — SEE EDITOR'S NOTE BELOW]During a discussion about what’s working for his practice, an advisor said that he is having great success with both clients and prospects by leading with a target-date fund (TDF) RFP before searching for a record keeper. Might that make sense for you,... READ MORE
By Fred Barstein | 4/21/2016
At a recent TPSU program, half the room was filled with plan sponsors from municipalities and government entities – people who had the same issues as their 401(k) and 403(b) brethren, and blended in seamlessly. So are there opportunities in the 457 government market? Does it represent a blue ocean... READ MORE
By Fred Barstein | 4/15/2016
Though advisors and providers are more concerned about the effects that the new DOL fiduciary rule will have on their businesses than DC plan sponsors are, employers are paying attention — a fact highlighted in an upcoming survey by Fidelity. At a TRAU meeting this week, a Fidelity representative... READ MORE
By Fred Barstein | 4/13/2016
The days of the “Wild West” are over. Given the new realities of the DC market, advisors have to be more thoughtful about how they approach their DCIO partners for support and learn how to leverage each one a bit differently.Why are things different? There’s a growing movement of assets into index... READ MORE
By Fred Barstein | 4/7/2016
The rash of 401(k) lawsuits only promises to heat up, and not just because of recent settlements that have attracted plaintiffs' attorneys to the industry. The just-finalized DOL rule could open up a whole new class of lawsuits as the rules get tougher and more parties are considered to be acting... READ MORE
By Fred Barstein | 4/4/2016
In case you have not noticed, industry consolidation is happening at a fevered pitch, led by record keepers, but also affecting DCIOs, BDs and even advisors. In the latest news, a private-equity-led record keeper with $150 billion in DC and nonqualified plan assets has rebranded and now stands... READ MORE
By Fred Barstein | 3/31/2016
Many experts are predicting that the convergence of retirement plans and health benefits, spurred on by the ACA, high deductible health care (HDHC) plans and health savings accounts (HSAs), offers huge opportunities for plan advisors. So why aren’t more plan advisors jumping in?I discussed this... READ MORE

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